244 Southern Historical Society Papers.
was some delay in his movement on the 2ist, but the pursuit was resumed very shortly after sunrise." After resting a day we resumed the march and reached Buchanan that night. Our next important move was to cross the Potomac into Maryland. We reached Fred- erick, Maryland, about the gth of the month, when Ramseur, after a slight resistance, moved through the town and brushed away the Federals before him. Our invasion had so alarmed the Federal capital that General Wallace was directed to move at once with such forces as he had and could collect and interpose them between us and Washington. When Wallace reached our front he drew his troops up on the eastern bank of the
MONOCACY.
Ramseur deployed in his front, drove his skirmishers across the river and a brief and brisk artillery duel followed. In the meantime McCausland, with his cavalry, crossed the river, attacked the Fed- eral left flank and threw it into confusion, which Early discovering, threw forward Gordon's division. Gordon moved to the assistance of McCausland, while Ramseur crossed over the railroad bridge and fell upon Wallace, who retreated with great precipitation, leaving in our hands six or seven hundred prisoners besides his killed and wounded. Our loss in killed and wounded was severe, but as this was a sharp and brilliant engagement, well planned and spiritedly executed, it infused new life into our troops. On the roth we moved to Rock- ville. As the weather was hot and the roads dusty, our troops were easily fatigued and made but slow progress. The next day we re- sumed the march, and in the afternoon reached Seventh street pike, which leads into Washington. In a history of the Army of the Po- tomac, Swinton, in speaking of this movement, says : " By afternoon the Confederate infantry had come up and showed a strong line in front of Fort Stevens. Early had there an opportunity to dash into the city, the works being very slightly defended. The hope at head- quarters that the capital could be saved from capture was very slen- der." The truth is, the Sixth and Ninth corps of Grant's army were then en route to save the capital, and for us to have entered it at this time might, in the end, have proved a costly experiment. Probably more expedition might have been exercised by us in our march. After reconnoitering and skirmishing a couple of days, we turned our backs on the capital, beat a hasty retreat to the Potomac, followed by
- he enemy's cavalry.
